Curiosity Killed the Tomb Raider
by Josh14Raider
Summary: Set a couple of years after her marriage to Kurtis Trent, Lara has since retired and put her adventuring days behind her to settle into a new life with Kurtis. However, a new threat has emerged, and Lara has been called back onto the field for a new adventure. Will this be end for the fabled tomb raider…
1. Prologue: It's No Game

_Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction Tomb Raider story. I do not own the characters originally from Tomb Raider, they belong to their respectable owners. This is just for entertainment reading._

**Prologue: It's No Game**

"Look! We're getting closer to our goal!" An excited Christian announced to his partner Marie, as they delved deeper into the darkness.

'This is my chance…To show the world that I could take my place among the greatest archaeologist-adventurers…It would be a discovery of a lifetime!' He happily thought to himself, though he could see the fear on Marie's face.

"Maybe…but I've got a bad feeling about this. We've made it this far, let's turn back…particularly after seeing that ghastly warning." She warned, remembering what was roughly etched on the stone wall near an alcove.

"Heed our danger to all those who dare enter the realm of the lost tormented souls…for you will be trapped and become one of them." Marie had translated the ancient language from before and recited to her spouse.

"Blah nonsense! Don't believe in that ancient superstitious hocus-pocus, it's designed to scare those who love a challenge to venture into the unknown. Come on, we're almost there... "

With their flashlights shining the path up ahead, Christian and Marie ventured further along the underground tunnel, ever wondering what wonderous mysteries they will uncover or even better yet what hypothetical reward awaits them at the end. Suddenly, a strange sound out of the blue stopped them dead in their tracks.

"What was that!?" They both clenched each other's hands in that moment of panic from the eerie noise.

"Why are you here? What do you seek? Leave this place, you don't belong here." These were the creepy voices that echoed faintly around the couple. Adamant that they were not going to be dissuaded, Christian pressed onwards through the dreaded passage.

"What are you doing! There have been numerous warnings thus far and hearing these voices certainly takes the biscuit…to continue forward would be madness." Marie stated having been shook by what they seen and heard during this journey.

"No, we promised each other that we will stick together and see this though. The treasure is within our grasp. I will never forgive you if you leave me now." He argued back with a passion that even she could see the full serious determination in his eyes despite the poor lighting around them.

"Very well, a promise is a promise…but on your head be it Christian."

"You won't regret it my love."

Regardless of the continuous hints of alleged doom up ahead, they managed to ignore the ever-increasing loudness of the troubled voices and eventually entered a circular chamber. Flame torches were lit up as the pair walked towards the platform which was covered in puzzling symbols. However, what really caught their attention was the object that was placed on the centre pedestal... so illuminating and desirable.

"There it is Marie! We were right in taking no notice of such petty threats."

"We should still proceed with caution, who knows what traps are awaiting to be set off."

Carefully, watching every step they took the duo paved the way forwards with no immediate hazards to prey upon them. A sigh of relief was breathed out as they were within arm's reach of the glorious artefact that was waiting to be taken.

'At long last, the power and glory shall be ours!' Christian smiled as he reached out for the unknown ornament that will change both of their lives…

"Oh look! Two wanderers from the outside world have entered our domain! Sorry to disturb this precious moment that you have both been waiting for." A high-pitched loud voice filled the hall.

"Who's that, show yourself!" Christian frantically scanned around the room to find the source of the voice. Marie concentrated at the entrance and saw an outline of an individual approaching them.

"Who are you?" She questioned the enigmatic character as it began to show its true colours after blending with the surroundings like camouflage.

"Numbra is the name. In my previous life I was a gambler and sought out that very thing your partner was about to reach out for till I made my grand arrival."

"Who cares what it has to say Marie, let's grab what we came here for and get out of here."

"Tut tut, now don't be so hasty you fool. I can tell who the more patient one is in this relationship." Numbra sneered.

"How dare you!" An offended Christian shouted. He couldn't believe what was happening at that moment, it was meant to play out differently. Marie was too stunned to make any movement and remained still to see how this would play out.

"Haha! Hit a nerve, did I? You'll regret venturing down to our lair. Now let's play a little game shall we…"

"We have no time for stupid games, stand aside now!" He confidently ordered the phantom, although it was simply unphased by the empty threat.

"You'll see, watch this. Goodbye Marie!" Numbra gave a darting look to the victim and unbeknownst to them a chain dangled next to the sinister figure and within a second that very chain was pulled…it was very magician-esque.

"Ta-da!" Within that moment all Christian could hear was the heart-wrenching scream of his beloved partner.

"MARIE! What have you done with her? Answer me now!" He demanded.

"Haha! Winding you up is such fun! Oh, don't get so angry, you should be thanking me saving both of your pathetic lives."

"Humph, what do you mean?"

"That thing is mesmerising isn't it? But looks can be deceiving, it's definitely got a nasty trick up its sleeve…can you guess what that is?"

"I've had enough of this, tell me now!" Christian yelled, becoming even more frustrated of the current circumstances.

"Geez, when is humanity ever going to learn not to take things too seriously!? Well you have a choice to make, save the person you love or obtain the power that from that trinket there?"

"What happens if I want both!?"

"Hmmm, you are a greedy one…first you need to seek the gauntlet that allows you to control the immersive power that it holds."

"Where would I find it?"

"Use your head to figure that one out, but alas the clue I'll give you is that the gauntlet has been lost for centuries within the sands of Ancient Egypt."

"So that's where I'll need to go…"

"You better get a move on though, as we can't hold your significant other's soul in captivity forever and if time runs out…she will meet an unpleasant end. It's an easy game, get the gauntlet within 7 days and I'll guide you on what you will need to do next. Do we have a deal?"

With little to no choice, the adventurer could only utter this word…

"Deal."

'I know I can't do this alone…' Christian thought as the deal had been made with Numbra, he started to plan what his next move will be.


	2. Anything Goes

**Anything Goes**

Freefalling in mid-air and feeling the breeze rushing past her face, Lara was determined to beat the previous record of her assault course. It had been a surprising warm morning with the sun slowly rising upon the horizon, perfect for going through one's favourite exercise routines after a week of teaching. It was a while after settling into married life that Lara decided to hang up her dual pistols and wanted to pursue a different kind of adventure… A once in a lifetime opportunity that she decided to follow in her mentors' footsteps and wanted to pass on her love of history and archaeology to students who shared that very same fascination for them. In particular, she wanted to showcase those subjects in her own unique way.

The retired tomb raider managed to grab onto the ropes that were hanging from the ledge and began her ascent up to the top of the tower platform.

'30 seconds to go, almost there.' She quickly caught a glimpse of the time on her stopwatch. Lara sped up her pace climbing the obstacle that stood between her and a new course record. Until…

"Woah!" Lara's heart skipped a beat in that moment of panic as her grip slipped from the rope.

"Gotcha!" A male voice from above spoke and managed to catch the former tomb raider before she fell to the ground.

"Need a hand there, Milady?" Kurtis Trent had appeared out of nowhere and gave a smirk to his beloved wife.

"Ah welcome back stranger…. yes, pull me up please. I must say there is no need for that smug look though." Lara gave a cheeky wink at him as she was raised up to the platform.

"Ha-ha, it's nice to catch you by surprise. No pun intended of course."

"That's not funny, anyway thank you Kurtis." They embraced in each other's arms on top of the tower, and after the sweet moment of affection they heard the abrupt sound of Kurtis's stomach rumbling.

"No worries, how about we share any news we have over breakfast…I'm starving after that gruelling journey."

"Great idea, let's get something to eat."

Once cleaned and settled at the breakfast table, the couple began to tuck into the continental cuisine and Kurtis updated Lara on his current events. Ever since marrying Lara and wanting to find a hobby for himself just as his spouse did in teaching, Kurtis decided he wanted to discover more about his heritage and furthermore delve into the mysteries of the Lux Veritatis. This led him onto various expeditions around the world. Sometimes the couple would go together on this personal pilgrimage, unless if Lara had commitments at home or elsewhere then he would take various friends from his past or even a group of them would go on the rare occasion.

"…So yeah that's what happened, another wild goose chase to uncover this 15th century manuscript, and here I am." Kurtis carefully dropped the ancient parchment on the table as he signed off his recollection of recent news to Lara.

"Here you are indeed. So when shall we decipher this little treasure you've found?" Lara asked with a lot of enthusiasm in her voice. She certainly was ready for another conundrum of a puzzle to solve, just like the last challenge he brought back from his previous adventure.

"Well not for a while yet, besides it will be nice to take a break and spend time with you. Speaking of which what's new with you, apart from your new shorter hairstyle."

"Aha! I see you have noticed…what do you think?" Lara teasingly questioned him, as she twirled a strand of her hair with the tip of her finger.

"It's nice and it really suits you. Of course, one's husband must notice these little details, heh I'm not falling for that trap again!" He chuckled, remembering the time he had returned to the manor from a few trips ago, and he completely forgot to comment about some of the new decorations that took Lara a while to setup around the place. Kurtis certainly was in her bad books for a little while, and he vowed not to miss changes like that next time.

"Oh relax, I'm glad you like it. Thought I would go for something different for a change. What else is new…Oh yes, you've actually come back at the right time…"

"Interesting you should say that. I recall you mentioning on the phone that you were planning a little celebration for Winston, what you got in mind?"

"A theatrical evening, I have planned for our dear friend. I've brought tickets for all of us to a musical performance tonight, I'm sure he and his wife will love it. Speaking of that very person, here he is…"

Winston made his entrance with 3 porcelain mugs filled with delicious brew upon his usual signature tray. He gave them a tender smile as he approached the dining table.

"Good morning Winston!" The couple happily greeted in unison.

"Top of the morning to you both! This is a pleasant surprise to see you both… Kurtis, a warm welcome back home."

"Thank you, Winston. Please join us." Kurtis gestured to the chair next to him, and Winston took the seat after handing over the hot cups of tea to the duo.

"Help yourself to something to eat my friend…we have something to announce to you." Lara happily said. They could see that after Winston took a sip from his drink, he was having a moment to himself wondering what the news could be…

"Oh Lara, are you…" Winston almost gasped it out. Instantly the tomb raider could tell what Winston was about to guess and quickly shot down what he was about to say.

"Before you complete that sentence, no I am not expecting!" Lara jokingly dismissed that idea, and Winston went all red in the face at his incorrect assumption.

"Whoops my mistake! You have to admit though it was a good guess…"

"I suppose it was." Kurtis couldn't help laughing a bit to himself.

"Hey!" Lara quickly jabbed at her husband's arm in a playful manner.

"Ha-ha! Come on let's tell him, we don't want to keep poor Winston in suspense any longer." Kurtis suggested, and she nodded in agreement.

"Alright, you ready… we're treating you and Linda to a musical show at the theatre tonight and after that we'll dine out at a nice restaurant. You could say it would be like a double date." The archaeologist explained and Winston's facial features widened with joy.

"That sounds lovely, aww you shouldn't have…" He certainly was speechless at the kind gesture.

"Nonsense! You deserve a treat, and it would be nice to go out altogether."

"Thank you both so much, I'll ring Linda now to tell her the great news!"

_Later that evening…_

Kurtis had booked the taxis ready to take the two couples to their destination that night. Winston's wife, Linda had arrived earlier that day and greeted both Lara and Kurtis as if they were family which they both adored.

"Are you ready yet Lara?" Kurtis called from downstairs, as he, Winston and Linda were already dressed up and waiting in the hallway.

"Almost, just putting on the final finishing touches." Lara replied as she put the last earring in place, ready for tonight. 'This should be a wonderful evening.' She cheerfully thought to herself as she took one last glance at herself in the mirror before making her appearance.

"Wow Lara…You look absolutely stunning." Kurtis observed in awe as Lara made her way down the stairs.

"Thank you, you look very smart too Kurtis. Winston and Linda are looking lovely as well. Are we all ready to go?"

The taxi arrived outside the mansion and took them to the grand theatre. It was a popular event and the performances along with the classical music were on top form with high production values. At the end, the cast finished off the show with the rendition of the famous song 'Anything Goes'. After departing the auditorium, the two couples made their way over to the restaurant for an exquisite meal. As expected, all four had enjoyed each other's company that evening. They merrily got back to the house gone midnight and were all ready to go to bed in their two separate rooms, until the sound of the doorbell rang through the hall.

"Who on earth could that be this time of the night?" A confused Winston queried, as he went over to answer the sizable door.

"Good evening, you are out late…what business do you have at this untimely hour?" Winston charmingly asked the unknown visitor.

"Apologies for the poor timing as I've not long arrived from the airport, but I'm here to see the Lady of this manor…" The stranger answered, and at this point the rest joined Winston at the entrance to see who it was… Straight away the ex-tomb raider recognised the caller.

"Christian!?" Lara was taken aback by this sudden arrival.

"Lara! Gosh, it has been so long…It's good to finally see you again."


	3. Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before

**Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before**

Time stood still in that moment of pure bewilderment as no one knew what to do. Everyone looked towards at Lara for some sort of reaction from her, but she seemed lost for words after the shock encounter. Linda decided she would break the awkwardness surrounding the group and be courteous to the unannounced guest.

"Please come in Christian, would you like a midnight beverage?"

"Thank you, a glass of water wouldn't go amiss please." Christian smiled and stepped foot into the grand manor.

"Okay, Winston and I will go get some drinks." Linda gestured towards Winston with her eyes and he nodded in response.

After closing the door, Winston went along with Linda to the kitchen to show where the glassware was stored and helped prepared the refreshments. Kurtis did not know how to react in this situation, but he decided to see how Lara was before introducing himself to the strange visitor who seemed to know his wife…Obviously there was some history between the two which he wanted to find out more about…

"Lara, are you alright?" Kurtis placed his hand on Lara's shoulder, he could feel how tense she was…however a second later she seemed to shrug it off.

"Yeah sorry, this is all so out of the blue. Kurtis, this is Christian Schneider. He and I go way back to when we were both students of Werner Von Croy. Christian, this is Kurtis Trent and he is my husband." She announced in an unheard-of monotone style.

As the two were introduced, Kurtis studied Christian seeing if he could figure out what intent he had, but in that split second he did not know what to make of him and as expected the guest was doing the very same thing to Kurtis too. There definitely needed to be some reason as to why this was happening, nevertheless they both shook hands in a friendly manner.

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance Kurtis." The unfamiliar visitor happily greeted him.

"Likewise, Christian. Shall we head through to the living room? Makes no sense to stand around here in the hallway." Kurtis suggested, eager to get some explanations.

"Ah good idea, lead the way." Christian motioned as he continued smiling at the couple, strangely there was no immediate hint that he took notice of Lara's change of behaviour when he made his appearance.

Without further ado they walked through the alcove corridor on the left-hand side and reached the lounge, where the lights had automatically turned on and the three had found places to sit on the plush chairs in the room. Winston and Linda were not long behind them delivering the glasses of water to the trio, and once done the good-natured couple decided to retire to bed.

"Well we'll leave you three to catch up. Goodnight all, and thanks again for a wonderful evening!"

"You're both very welcome, night both." Both Lara and Kurtis waved at the couple.

"Nice to meet you Winston and Linda." Christian kindly remarked as they closed the door behind them.

Attention then turned back to the mysterious person whom in that moment was observing his surroundings of the elegance and décor of the manor interior.

"A lovely home you have here!" The late caller commended them both. Lara was unfazed by this complement and immediately wanted to cut to the chase.

"What brings you here then Christian? What do you want from us?" Lara almost snapped at him, but he held his calm composure.

"Why a proposal of course... I know we have our history Lara, but I may be onto something and I need your help."

"Oh no…I'm sure we've all heard of something like this before, and I'm not falling for it…You and Werner chose your paths when you both turned your back on me all those years ago…"

"But that is all in the past, and our mentor has passed on as you well know. Please Lara, you have to believe me when I say I'm on the verge of an amazing discovery…I didn't travel all this way just to be shown the exit."

"I don't care what you think, now I would appreciate it if you would leave…" Lara gestured towards the front door, just as Christian lost hope in trying to convince the ex-tomb raider Kurtis decided to step in.

"Woah hang on Lara…I don't know what the deal is between you two but at least let's hear what he has to say."

"Humph. Fine. Go ahead Mr. Schneider, what revelation have you found?"

With that Christian did not say another word and delved into his inner jacket pocket, pulling out a tattered piece of rolled parchment and placing it on the tabletop. He looked into the duo's eyes as they stared in confusion at the papyrus scroll and the fellow protégé of Von Croy at last unveiled to the couple what he had in his possession. Silence befell upon them as they promptly studied what it was.

"A map?" Kurtis suggested, as he viewed the markings and noticed an occurring pattern upon the sheet.

"Indeed, can you guess where it is from?" He queried them both, and Lara had soon chimed in.

"There is some hieratic script on this side, meaning its of Ancient Egyptian origin."

"Right you are Lara, do you know what it says?"

She began to roughly translate the text that was exquisitely written upon the page. All were intrigued as it spoke of a concealed chamber that was secretly constructed underneath a supposed vast complex, which itself was being built around the time this was written. To what purpose the secret was still unknown, however there was no doubt that whatever was down there would be of significant value. Unfortunately, some of the written text became harder to decrypt, so Lara decided to take a break deciphering the writing and gave the guest a puzzling look.

"Christian, where did you find this?"

"Glad you asked that question. Oddly enough on an excavation off the coast in Japan, how it got there all the way there from Egypt is anyone's speculation. My wife and I led a small team on an archaeological dig originally with the aim of finding shipwreck relics or Japanese treasures if we were lucky. A couple of days ago Marie and I stumbled across an eerie underground cavern, oh you should have seen it…nasty traps galore and messages of danger, telling us to go back etcetera…" It was this point Christian was partway through explaining the story, where Kurtis noticed a glaring omission…

"Sorry to interrupt, but where is Marie by the way?" He questioned.

"Ah my beloved Marie...It's hard for me to say it but she died right in front of my eyes in that cave…I won't go into details as it still hurts me deeply…even this horrific event happened I spurred on and eventually found what you see before you. Now I know what you are thinking, I should have stopped this risky journey altogether after losing my wife…but not only I am doing it for her. My excavation is also at financial trouble and I have five days to come up with something or risk losing the site. I know it won't bring her back though I want to do this on behalf of her memory, and I don't want her sacrifice to be in vain."

Suddenly the emotion had started to pour out for Christian who was delicately holding his gold wedding ring in his palm, and in an instant turned into crying as he put his head into his hands over his loss and burden. With a heavy change of heart, Lara consoled her broken down associate and friend from long ago.

"We're sorry to hear about your loss and sad circumstances." Were all the words that came out of her as she hugged him for support.

"This is why I have come to you at this late hour…I'm not asking for your money, but I need an experienced trustworthy partner…will you help me find out what this all means? I just know there is more to that cavern then meets the eye and I believe the breadcrumbs of this map will lead us to something grand…"

"I don't know…" Lara looked towards her husband in that moment for any reassurance, however he was subtly shaking his head, this situation all seemed too surreal.

"Ask yourself this Lara…will an opportunity like this arise again for you?" Christian directly inquired her, knowing he had asked the right question since it made her go deep in thought.

"Hmm. Well it is getting too late to decide now, let us sleep on it and pick this up in the morning. Have you booked a hotel for the night before you got here?" Lara quizzed.

"I haven't in my rush to get here, so my apologies."

"Don't worry about it, you can sleep in the guest room next to Winston's. It is already prepped."

"Thank you so much for your hospitality Lara and Kurtis, I certainly look forward to hearing your answer tomorrow." Christian stated, as they all departed from the living room.


	4. Strange Cargo

**Strange Cargo**

Unanswered questions were flowing around Kurtis's head that very night as he laid there awake next to Lara who had already fallen soundly asleep along with all the snoring she was making. She did not talk much nor any further explained about what took place in the latter part of the evening, as they each showered and got ready for bed. The Lux Veritatis warrior could read the body language and the expression on Lara's face that she was not in the mood for a conversation, but it was worth a try…

"Lara…I…" The legionnaire began but was soon cut off by the archaeologist like she had read his mind.

"Please Kurtis, I need time to process what happened tonight. I promise I'll explain more about it in the morning." She stated in a composed demeanour and proceeded to kiss him as a sign of good night.

"Okay, night Lara." He gave a weak smile to her as she tucked herself in the covers and closed her hazel eyes.

'Is she hiding something from me?' A thought randomly occurred as Kurtis continued to stare at the bedroom ceiling in darkness. He reran through the events that transpired earlier, trying to figure out if there was any little detail he missed during the peculiar encounter. However, nothing came to him as he glanced over to his wife.

'No…why am I doubting the person whom I love…I made a commitment to her in our marriage, and I would be betraying that trust between us…besides hopefully more should be made clear in the morning…' Eventually tiredness got the better of him and he soon drifted off to sleep.

_A couple of hours later…_

The sounds of many raindrops were heard falling upon the bedroom windows where still snoozing away underneath the thick duvet was none other than Kurtis himself. That was until the rainfall became heavier and not long after he awoke from his slumber.

"Lara?" A weary Kurtis sensed the absence of his partner, as his sapphire-coloured eyes scanned the cluttered room and confirmed it to be true.

'Hmm I wonder…' He shook his head knowing where she would be, but he decided to first get himself sorted ready for the day ahead before going to see her. Making his way to the other side of the upper level of the manor, he soon found the adventurer sitting in her vast library scribbling down notes as she studied the ancient scroll that was previously presented to the couple beforehand.

"There you are! How are you feeling this morning?" Kurtis made his entrance from the doorway and immediately startled her.

"Hey! Great thanks, you alright?"

"All good thanks, you sound more cheerful than you did prior going to sleep."

"Yeah about that, I'm sorry for my behaviour last night as it wasn't fair on you. A lot was going through my mind and I was not in the right state to talk about it." Lara apologetically explained.

"I must admit it was a bit awkward but don't worry about it, I understand in that kind of unusual circumstance…though I'm glad you're back to being yourself."

"Thank you." The couple fully embraced in a passionate hug where for that invaluable moment in time everything around them ceased to exist.

"Anyway, how long have you been up for?" Kurtis began as they broke off the warm embrace and got back to the matter at hand.

"Oh, I've been up for about an hour, just reading through this manuscript that was shown to us by Christian. I have made another riveting discovery from the text, so do I dare tell you what that is." She gave him a cheeky wink.

"Go ahead then, let's hear about this little revelation you've made." He jokingly chuckled. It certainly was one of the many things he loved about his wife which was that never-ending enthusiasm for her field of work.

"Very well since you asked kindly. I managed to translate some of what I was unable to make out last night from the writings with a bit of help from this rare book of ancient languages. Interestingly parts were so erratically encrypted it is near-impossible for me to decipher, which leads me to suggest that whoever wrote this made this so classified and did not want just anyone finding out what their secret was. According to what I managed to roughly translate; it concerns how this unknown group were tasked into hiding a cargo that was delivered during the New Kingdom of Egypt period by order of the monarchy at the time this was written. I must say they certainly covered their tracks in style."

"What kind of cargo was it?" He quizzed.

"Unfortunately, it doesn't mention it here. But whatever they were transporting must of had significant worth to someone high up at that time and they did not want it to be shown in public at any cost, hence this underground chamber was built as a sanctuary for the cargo."

"Intriguing…so never to be seen again?"

"As far as I am aware yes, so I'm hoping this map will lead us to where the hiding place would be, who knows could be a tomb of sorts or even a sanctum."

"But do you know the whereabouts of this location? There would be too much ground to cover if not."

"Ah ha, that's what the next part is about. The scription roughly translates the co-ordinates of the supposed burial of the contents, my hypothesis is that it is somewhere in Luxor, most likely in the Valley of the Kings as the dates and information gathered thus far all seem related to that location." Lara briefed Kurtis who wholeheartedly nodded in agreement of her findings.

"Good point why wouldn't someone around that time with power be buried alongside their precious treasure in a tomb amongst the kings. It looks like we got a commendable lead on this then. So, what's the deal with Christian?"

"Ah that topic…okay as promised here it goes. Before going to Cambodia for my first adventure, Werner had introduced me to one of his star pupils at the university he was working at, that very person was Christian Schneider and he certainly made a good first impression. Even though after what happened at Angkor Wat where the friendship between Werner and I had soured and our rivalry began, I was still on good terms with Christian. We were writing to each other, talking about our latest adventures, and even meeting up on occasions and as time went on, he and I became close until…"

_THUD!_

"What was that noise!?" Kurtis alertly said.

"That came from downstairs…the treasure vault!" Lara gasped.

On the double the two made their way to the ground floor of the mansion and they both separated with Kurtis heading towards the concealed entry to the artefact room whilst Lara dashed to the secret switch to unlock the door. She inputted the sequential code and as the gears of the mechanism were lifting the hatch, they both gazed at the intruder inside.

"Ah top of the morning to you both, you found me." Christian joyfully said. He seemed to be unfazed by the darting looks he was getting from the couple.

"Christian! What are you doing in here!?" Lara blurted out.

"Not to steal if that was your first assumption, but I came in here to admire your collection of course Lara, from one archaeologist to another. Some of these wonderful relics should be in a museum for everyone to see and enjoy."

"That's still quite sneaky of you to let yourself in." Kurtis suspiciously tutted at him.

"I know it is, but I could not help myself. Von Croy had previously talked with awe about how magnificent the Iris artefact is, so I just had to see it with my own eyes. I also thought it would be a fun challenge to solve the puzzle you have set and beat the timed door to this vault. I meant no harm so if I am trespassing my apologies, the eagerness got the better of me."

"Alright, but if we catch you in here again there will be trouble. Anyway, we have some great news about the scripture you showed us…"

Lara began explaining the new discoveries as Christian intently listened to the details. This time around Kurtis noticed that she seemed more confident of her findings, probably because they were seemingly both in approval of the proposed theory before being interrupted by the noise.

"Fascinating, I knew Marie and I were onto something special…so have you made your decision on whether you will join me for this new adventure Lara?"

"I have yes"

"What's your answer?"

"I will go with you to find out the mystery that is down there."


	5. Let's Go Adventuring

**Let's Go Adventuring**

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we're about to begin our descent to Luxor International Airport so please fasten your seat belts, the illuminated signs should have already been lit up a few minutes ago." The captain of the aircraft announced on the loudspeaker system. Throughout the whole duration of the flight Christian and Lara took the time to reminisce about memories of the past as well as their recent ventures that have led them to take the paths they have chosen in their respective lives. It certainly felt like the good old times where they were both relaxed in each other's company and did not hold back to what they wanted to say to one another. Luckily, this happened without any eavesdropping as the other passengers were either sleeping or had headphones plugged into their media.

"…And that was another adventure which Kurtis, Ayesha and I barely managed to make it out alive after our supernatural discovery deep within one of the mountains in the Himalayas...Gosh, it's hard to believe that journey was a few years ago now, doesn't time fly!" Lara quipped as she concluded discussing about that eccentric adventure.

"I'm speechless, I can't believe you experienced a close encounter!"

"We certainly did, and of course no one will believe us but then I like it that way, keeps it a secret that only a selected few will know. Coincidentally I have arranged for us to meet Ayesha when we land and asked for her help on our quest."

"The more the merrier, and especially after hearing your recent escapades it shall be an honour to meet her."

"Yeah she is an amazing friend and she'll always be someone you can trust on. It will be good to see her too as it's been a couple of months since we last saw each other."

"I can imagine. Anyway, tell me more about Kurtis as I'm curious to what made you fall for him…was it love at first sight?" Christian jokingly questioned Lara who immediately began to blush after not expecting to be asked that .

"Ha! Unbelievable, I do not know whether to be surprised or shocked at your boldness. Wow where do I begin with Kurtis…I honestly don't know what to say!" She was baffled with the out of the blue question that had made her speechless for that very moment.

"Ah I see a tricky subject…let me try and make it easier for you, how did you the two of you meet?"

"If memory serves me correctly, we first met in The Louvre, though not under the circumstances you would expect like a romantic date or purely just perusing the fabulous artwork there. I managed to unearth an 15th century painting piece from within an archaeological dig that was being conducted by the museum to which Werner had previously researched into and jotted down in his notebook before his death. However, there were other interested parties after the painting and whilst I was avoiding these mercenaries that had sieged the place, my instincts failed me at a crucial moment where I'd been taken off guard by a cold metallic feeling of a gun barrel placed at the back of my neck."

"Oh no, what did you do in that scenario!?" Christian gasped as Lara continued her story.

"I couldn't do anything, all I could feel was my heartbeat pounding heavily as I was disarmed, and the painting artefact I just retrieved taken from my backpack at gun point by this stranger. I knew in that moment of surrender I had to do something, so I decided to swiftly turn and face my adversary whom I would later find out to be the infamous Kurtis Trent. I was ready for a fight, unexpectedly though my whole body froze, my eyes just gazed deep into his azure blue ones and I cannot fully describe how I felt…but I can tell you one thing it was enchanting. He began to move away afterwards keeping his pistol trained on me, from there my mind was racing and admittedly I rashly chased him through the galleries along with the mercenaries hot on our tail. There were a few close calls, but I managed to catch up with him through the fire exit of the museum where he just laid there unconscious on the ground…unfortunately what happened next all became a blur as I got knocked out cold."

"Ohhh, what happened next? When did you next see him?" Christian eagerly asked her, he certainly was invested in the story she was telling.

"The next time I saw him was in Prague, where Kurtis and I formally introduced ourselves to each other in a stronghold fortress owned by The Cabal and we eventually agreed to team up to stop the dreaded alchemist Pieter Van Eckhardt achieving his desired goal. Cutting a long story short after that whole ordeal we bumped into each other on several occasions, where the more we saw each other the closer we got until we expressed our true feelings. To be honest it is indescribable how I feel about him, he's a loveable enigma and I'm happy to share my life with him." Lara emotionally conveyed. Even though she had intentionally left out some detail, she certainly poured her heart out about her husband that she cherished in her speech.

"Aww that's sweet I think I get where you're coming from, I've come to learn that love truly is a unique wonderful feeling that we all experience at some point in our lives and it's absolutely mystifying. It would be interesting to hear from Kurtis's perspective how he feels about you. I can always remember how Marie and I met…we were in Greece at The Acropolis of Athens citadel overlooking the beautiful city of Athens. A group of us was there researching the site and seeing if we could find archaeological remains that were valuable. Our team leader initially put the two of us as a team for one section of the dig and I must admit we had a rocky start where we continuously argued about who is right or wrong on certain theories and it became like a competition to see who had the most impressive find."

"Nothing wrong with a bit of competition, sometimes it may bring out the best in people." Lara remarked as she smiled at him.

"Indeed, and throughout this little competitiveness we began to share our common love of archaeology and from then on our feelings to each other grew so much that overtime as the relationship moved forward I managed to pluck up the courage and ask her to marry me. Funnily enough I asked Von Croy to be my best man which he happily agreed to and our wedding day was the best day of my life and I knew from that day onwards our lives would be full of adventures. It's a shame Marie, Kurtis and Werner are not here joining us to what I hope will be a breakthrough..."

"True, I would have liked to have met Marie as she sounds like an intriguing lady. Not that I am making excuses for Kurtis's case, but he only got back to the manor the day before yesterday so I'm sure the last place he wants to be is flying on an aeroplane."

"That's understandable…"

At that very moment Lara thought back to yesterday's conversation with the Lux Veritatis warrior during when she was making the necessary preparations ready for travelling to Egypt.

"What do you think to my decision earlier?" Lara queried him as they were alone in their bedroom.

"Sceptical, but it is your choice and I won't stand in your way."

"I know there is a level of uncertainty surrounding this, but I am genuinely captivated as to what could be hidden in this location. Besides, I know Christian very well we may have had a falling out in the past, but after hearing what he had to say for this instance I am willing to let bygones be bygones."

"But how well do you really know him though is what concerns me...how do you know he hasn't changed since you last spoke on good terms and what if so far his personality has been all for show just to get you on this trip since he knows you can't resist the lure of an adventure?"

"Trust me if he tries to double-cross me, he will regret it so don't worry I know how to handle Christian. You forget this is not the first time that I've trusted a stranger like this and look how well that turned out previously!" She hinted by raising her eyebrows at him.

"Hey that was a different situation and we both had a unified goal that we accomplished together."

"We certainly did, by the way are you coming with us?"

"Nah I'm going to stay put for now, someone's got to keep Winston some company."

"Fair enough, you'll be missing out though." Lara drew closer to Kurtis wrapped her arms around him in a romantic way, likewise he tenderly put his arms around her waist, and they moved to kiss each other passionately.

"Just assure me that you are going to be careful and you're going to watch your back, I believe there's more to this than meets the eye." Kurtis voiced his further concern to her, and it seemed Lara was in deep thought as he looked into her eyes.

"Hang on to that thought, I might have a plan…" She then picked up the phone from the charging cradle on the bedside cabinet and dialled in an international number connecting her to an old friend.

The plane landed at on the runway of Luxor International Airport and both Christian and Lara made their way through security checks and managed to get their belongings from the baggage carousel.

"Lara!" The sound of Ayesha's excited voice was heard as they exited the terminal.

"Ayesha my friend! It is so good to see you again!" Lara cheerfully greeted her friend in a warm hug.

"It's great to see you too, you've changed a bit since I last saw you." Ayesha told her and Lara winked in response.

"Let me introduce you to Christian Schneider, an old friend of mine and fellow student to Werner Von Croy."

"It is a pleasure to meet you Ayesha, Lara has told me all about you during the flight here."

"Haha I see…Hopefully what she's told you is that I'm a ray of sunshine to be with, and if Lara has said otherwise please do tell me so me and her can have words about this, hehe I'm only joking. Did you both have a good flight?"

"Yes thanks, it gave us plenty of time to catch up on things."

"That's good to hear. Follow me to the car park and we'll drive to the hotel where you'll be staying."

The ride to the hotel was pleasant as both Lara and Christian enlightened Ayesha of their revelation about the mysterious scroll and in turn she informed them of the tour she had booked the three on around the Valley of the Kings later on that day, giving them a chance to survey the site and if they could pick up the clues leading to the supposed concealed chamber. Once they had been assigned their separate room numbers, they both unpacked their cases and got themselves freshened up whilst Ayesha waited in reception drinking a soft beverage at the bar. Christian and Lara eventually met halfway across the corridor, as each had changed their clothes from before. Lara was dressed in her favourite iconic attire with plenty of sunscreen in her backpack whilst Christian wore a beige explorer's outfit complete with a hat.

'Almost resembling his idol Von Croy …' Lara had thought to herself as they made their way to the entrance of the hotel where Ayesha was waiting.

"I see you are both ready to go. Now you both will be on your best behaviour as we go on this tour, won't you?" Ayesha cheekily said with a little giggle, and they both reacted very similarly by facepalming.

"We will."

"Great, let's go adventuring!"


End file.
